Mir Farhat
Chadoora constituency which touches its borders with Pulwama, and Srinagar districts has seen comparatively better development in past 12 years.
The constituency is represented second time by Javed Mustafa Mir of PDP who defeated National Conference candidate Ali Mohammad Dar by a margin of around 3000 votes in 2008 Assembly elections. Mir polled 16278 votes and Dar 13338.
People in the constituency have mixed responses about the performance of their legislator. Residents said though on development front the road connectivity across the constituency has improved a lot yet electricity, education, health and drinking water facilities need more upliftment.
The inhabitants said that Chadoora constituency has been a victim of politics. Major projects like degree or technical colleges have been “snatched” from them by two political bigwigs to Chrari-e-Sharif and Khansahib which fall in the same district.
“The constituency is the central point in the district but major developmental share has always gone either to Chrari-e-Sharif or Khansahib,” said Mohammad Yousuf of Chadoora. He said their representatives have been “weak” and they have not prevailed over the long time MLAs of the other two constituencies.
Residents in villages surrounding Wathoora said their MLA has not focused toward their area as they had expected when they voted for him in 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections.
Residents in Wathoora said a dispensary has been built in 1967 but it has never been upgraded to a public health centre despite increase in population.
Wathoora has a population of over 20000, said Bashir Ahmad Sofi, a retired Government employee, and is the central point of dozens of villages like Doniwora, Sheikhpora, Batpora, Hanjigund, Balpora, Bachroo, Lalgam, Namtihal, Zaloo, Gopalpora, Banhara, Shahpora and others.
Sofi said all these villages have seen marginal development in the last 12 years.
The residents said the upgradiation of dispensary to PHC has been promised by Mir whenever he had visited the area, but “he has never kept his word with us”. They said CAPD godown was constructed but the department has not made it functional yet.
They said the Panchayat house in their area is in shambles and its premises is used by people to store cow dung.
Youth in the area said the only playground in Wathoora in which the sports enthusiasts play has no bridge over the deep and narrow Doodh Ganga.
Said a youth, Younis Ali, in Wathoora that they have requested their MLA, time and again, to construct a bridge over the stream.
The residents of other villages said though link roads have been macadamized but lanes and bylanes are not concrete and are in shabby condition.
The link road between Wathoora and Kanipora from Kralpora is dilapidated and has not been macadamized yet.
The connecting road from Lasjan Bypass to Pampore thorough Somberbugh lies in complete shambles. It has not been macadamized from the last over five years.
On drinking water, the residents said they drink impure water. “Even PHE officials told us not to drink the water. It contains 60 per cent Iron. We have protested time and again but nothing changed,” he said.
The residents in Chadoora said that despite their area being close to Srinagar it is still backward and needs more development.
On development of education institutions and their infrastructure, the residents said Chadoora is the only constituency which does not have a degree college. All other four constituencies have degree colleges in the district.
They said Polytechnique college has been shifted to Chrari-e-Sharif though it should have been allotted to their area.
The Municipal Committee in Chadoora town has spend 80 per cent of the funds collected on salaries of the employees and nothing on construction of public conveniences like toilets and passenger bays. The town has no garbage dumping site. The waste is being dumped on roads and public places and in Doodh Ganga stream.
Other villages like Pahroo and Chattergam have also seen marginal development, residents said.
Shabir Ahmad of Pahroo said the road from Nowgam Bypass to their area has been macadamized in the last few days. “Our area was completely neglected by the MLA but the road macadamization is an achievement for him. The road has been encroached by the shopkeepers and residents,” he said.
Ahmad said the area has no health centre and they have to go to Srinagar for even minor ailments.
The residents also complained that they don’t have pure drinking water. They said the only middle school, having 100 students, is housed in a two rooms which are constructed on the road.
In Bogam village which produces abundant vegetables in the area, the villagers they have been demanding a vegetable mandi.
“But our demand have not been fulfilled despite repeated requests,” said a vegetable grower, Rashid Dar.
PDP MLA Javaid Mustafa Mir told Excelsior for alleviating the problem of electricity in his constituency he has sanctioned receiving stations at Khandah, Lasjan and a grid station at Naboo.
“These receiving stations will feed electricity to villages like Wagoora, Suthsoo, Leelam, Khandah, Sunzipora, Gowharpora, Kuzvera, Kulthreh, Bahrampora, Brarigund, Wadipora. Besides one more power feeder has been proposed for Pahroo”, Mir said. He said he has asked for DPR of Lasjan receiving station. Mir said the Naboo grid station which will feed electricity to Chadoora and its adjacent areas was his highest achievement.
Mir said to overcome the shortage of drinking water supply, gravity water supply scheme at Hayatpora is almost complete with filtration plant, and he said the PHE officials have told him that water would supplied to the area within a month or so.
The two-time legislator said that waters supply schemes in Pahroo, Chattergam and Lasjan are also being constructed to address drinking water problems in those areas which are getting less water.
Mir said to improve healthcare facilities he upgraded dispensary to Primary Health Centre (PHC), Kralpora PHC is under construction, PHC Kinhama was constructed from Railway compensation, and dispensary in Pahroo will soon be upgrade into a PHC as the department has made DPR of the proposal.
Mir also admitted that Wathoora being the central point of many villages, its dispensary should have been constructed into a PHC, but “it has not happened so far as there is no land available for the PHC”.
He said the inhabitants, however, have an SDH at Chadoora which has also an IPD block that was constructed during his tenure.
On education, he said no school has been upgraded in the last two years because the Government “announced that under RAMSA scheme the infrastructure of the existing schools will be upgraded and made better”.
He said, Government has been “unfair” to his constituency in improving and providing better facilities in education sector.
“Despite Government’s non-cooperation, toilet facilities, drinking water was provided to few schools. Few buildings under RAMSA were built”, he said.
Mir said major connecting roads were metalled and macadamized during his tenure. Roads like Natipora-Chattergam-Newa, Rambagh-Bagi-e-mehtab-Kralpora were macadamized. A bridge at Wathoora was constructed by ERA by his efforts, he said.
He said Pahroo road from Nowgam has been macadamized recently.
“There were least connectivity and concrete roads in 2002 when I was elected by people as their representative. But the constituency has changed a lot better in the last over 12 years,” Mir claimed.
On the demand of a Vegetable Mandi by Bogam residents, the MLA said he has raised this demand in the Assembly session before the Agriculture Minister. “The Agriculture Minister on the floor of the house said that ‘he will examine the demand of Vegetable Mandi’. But I have heard nothing from the Minister afterwards.” He said he will raise the demand before the minister concerned again.
Mir said the bridge over Doodh Ganga stream at Wathoora to connect the playground will be prioritized as a motorable bridge very soon under NABARD.
“It could not be built in the last five years because it involves a huge cost and can be built only under some agency or scheme,” he said.
He said that if people elect him again the road from Lasjan to Pampore through Somberbugh will be proposed under a scheme.
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